John Struthers
1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 455 handling Criminal Defence.
About John Struthers
John Struthers runs a solo criminal defence practice based in downtown Toronto, handling matters that range from bail hearings to first degree murder trials. The practice traces back to 1989, when Struthers first opened an office on Eagle Street in Newmarket. It later moved downtown, where it's now been based for close to three decades. Before setting out independently, four years were spent as an assistant Crown attorney in the late 1980s. A 1983 graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, Struthers has since defended more than 100 murder charges at various levels of court, according to the firm's own site.
Struthers has twice served as a director of the Criminal Lawyers Association, first for Toronto from September 2006 to September 2010 and later for the province from 2014 to 2016. Struthers also testified before the Goudge Inquiry into pediatric forensic pathology in Ontario, and guest lectures on criminal law at the University of Toronto and Queen's University law faculties. Speaking engagements have included the Law Society, the Ontario Bar Association, the Criminal Lawyers Association, and groups of Justices of the Peace and Crown attorneys.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Earned a J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1983.
- Spent four years as an assistant Crown attorney in the late 1980s.
- Opened an independent criminal defence practice in 1989 on Eagle Street in Newmarket, later relocating the practice to downtown Toronto.
- Served as the Criminal Lawyers Association's Toronto Director from September 2006 to September 2010.
- Served as the Criminal Lawyers Association's Ontario Provincial Director from 2014 to 2016.
- Testified before the Goudge Inquiry into pediatric forensic pathology in Ontario.
- Has defended more than 100 murder charges at various levels of court, according to the firm's own site.
In the community
- Guest lectures on criminal law at the University of Toronto and Queen's University law faculties.
- Has spoken about criminal law issues to the Law Society, the Ontario Bar Association, the Criminal Lawyers Association, and groups of Justices of the Peace and Crown attorneys.
- Taught a criminal law webinar for the Law Society of Upper Canada.
- Sits on the Legal Aid Exceptions Committee, a role held for more than a decade.
- Co-founded SetDateCentral.ca, a service that represents clients at routine administrative court appearances so lawyers can focus on trial preparation and negotiations.
Good to know
By appointmentFees & payment
Flat fee
HourlyWho handles what
The neighbourhood
The office is in Camden Lane Law Chambers on Spadina Avenue, in the part of downtown Toronto known as the Fashion District. For most of the 20th century this stretch of Spadina was the centre of the city's garment manufacturing trade, with most factories leaving by the 1970s. The practice has been based in downtown Toronto for close to three decades, the current stretch of that run from this Spadina Avenue address.
Frequently asked questions
- I've been charged with impaired driving in Toronto, can John Struthers help?
- Yes. DUI and impaired driving charges are one of the practice's listed areas, and the site advises against speaking to police without first consulting a criminal defence lawyer.
- Does the practice handle bail hearings?
- Yes. Bail hearings are one of the core practice areas listed on the firm's site.
- Has this practice handled murder charges before?
- Yes. According to the firm's own site, more than 100 murder charges have been defended at various levels of court.
- How much will a criminal case cost?
- The practice's fee structure page explains that work is billed either as a block fee for a specific piece of work, such as a single bail hearing, or on an hourly basis, and that a full cost estimate isn't possible until the details of a case are known. Call to discuss a specific matter.
- Where is the office and how do I get in touch?
- The office is at 130 Spadina Avenue, Suite 606, in downtown Toronto's Camden Lane Law Chambers. The practice can be reached by phone, by text, or through the contact form on the site.
Where to find them
130 Spadina Avenue, Suite #606, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2K8 · 416-361-9609
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Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗